The New Year's Eve ball in Times Square drops once each year, during the final countdown to midnight.
The ball begins its descent shortly before midnight on December 31 and reaches the bottom of its pole at the start of January 1. The drop lasts approximately 60 seconds, although the surrounding countdown program includes much longer performances, speeches, and entertainment. Television coverage can make the event seem more complicated because broadcasters show rehearsals, time-zone celebrations, and repeated footage.
The tradition began in 1907, when an illuminated ball was lowered from the headquarters of The New York Times. It was inspired in part by time balls used at ports and observatories to help ships and communities coordinate accurate time. The Times Square version turned that practical idea into a public celebration.
The ball was not lowered in 1942 and 1943 because wartime blackout restrictions prevented the usual bright display. A quieter observance took place instead. In every ordinary annual ceremony, however, the defining descent is a single ball drop at midnight.